Fred,
Your local library will have various auto repair manuals that may help
you. I'm sure there is a Hayne's manual for sale at the auto parts store. I
doubt that removing the engine will be necessary. Have you looked under the
front carpet at the engine access port?
Dave M.

No, but when I lost a valve retainer working on a Hilux deisel in a
dirt floored shop in Ouagadougu Burkina Faso, I was really reminded
how important it is to be meticulously organized. After exhausting all
possible sources of replacement parts I went back and after going
through the whole shop with a fine toothe comb (almost litterally) I
finally found it.

Not personally. I got the instructions off the internet.
My brother had to do the heads on his and I knew he did it in the
truck so I looked for the instructions.
My Aerostars were both 3 liter engines. I got changing plugs down to a
20 minute job on a cold engine. I changed the rear U'Joint on my back
in a parking lot in Flint Michigan. I replaced the shift servo seals
on the automatic on my back in my driveway.
All of the work I did on Aerostars was after I had left the automotive
trade as my major source of income for the computer business.

Any way to remove enough of the body so that the a head gasket can be
replaced without pulling the engine out thru underneath? Probably not -
just wondering....
After several replies, you could remove the grille and stuff in front of the
engine, then take out through the front. One seldom drops the engine out the
bottom, although it could happen.

3 choices from the mechanic....
Complete used engine with 125K miles, 6 mo parts warranty - $2500
Complete used engine with 125K miles, 1 yr parts & labor warranty -
$2650
Heads only $2400
Could not find a rebuilt engine
Talked with another mechanic known for many years.... I wanted him to
check it and be sure it was a head gasket. Right away when he was milky
coolant, he said it was a head gasket recommended getting rid of it. He
knew there were other problems - PS, heater, control arm bushings for
starters. Plus possibly trans down the road.
I'll look around and see what's out there. But with the choice of
spending $3500 fixing this one or $10K+ on a newer van, I'll stay with
the old one.
Cost after 5 years SWAG:
Fix old one -- $3500 repairs + $3K future repairs + $350 registration
= $6850.
Cost for trading to later mode -- $10K - $1K old sold + $1500 future
repairs + $810 sales tax + $1K registration. $14,310.
Rough estimate of the cost of $10K one..... $10K less $1000 sell to
state or junk yard = $9K cost. Plus $810 sales tax, plus $200/year
registration.\

3 choices from the mechanic....
Complete used engine with 125K miles, 6 mo parts warranty - $2500
Complete used engine with 125K miles, 1 yr parts & labor warranty - $2650
Heads only $2400
Could not find a rebuilt engine
Talked with another mechanic known for many years.... I wanted him to check
it and be sure it was a head gasket. Right away when he was milky coolant,
he said it was a head gasket recommended getting rid of it. He knew there
were other problems - PS, heater, control arm bushings for starters. Plus
possibly trans down the road.
I'll look around and see what's out there. But with the choice of spending
$3500 fixing this one or $10K+ on a newer van, I'll stay with the old one.
Cost after 5 years SWAG:
Fix old one -- $3500 repairs + $3K future repairs + $350 registration $6850.
Cost for trading to later mode -- $10K - $1K old sold + $1500 future repairs
+ $810 sales tax + $1K registration. $14,310.
Rough estimate of the cost of $10K one..... $10K less $1000 sell to state or
junk yard = $9K cost. Plus $810 sales tax, plus $200/year registration.\
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I'm confused. You asked if the head gaskets can be replaced by removing body
panels to gain access instead of by taking the engine out.through the
bottom. My reply was that you remove the grille and take the engine out
through the front. To that, you list up options that all are replacing the
engine in one way or another, and this brings us back to taking it out
through the front. My answer is the same, even if your options are
different.
Quite frankly, you should scrap this car. Here's why, the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) has no aftermarket CATs that it certifies for this
car. This means that when you need a new CAT, you must get them from Ford
for a cost that is probably greater than the value of the car.
I do not know where you are, nor do I care. The point is that there are no
replacement CATs that are good enough to make CARB happy, and (like a
woman), if CARB aint happy, aint nobody happy. If you are outside of Calif.,
and you buy an aftermarket CAT, it will not last and it will not work -- two
issues that CARB insists upon to certify for use.
Good luck.

Why would you pull the engine out the front? Only if you have no
hoist!! The engine comes out the bottom so much more easily - and so
much faster. Goes in a lot easier too. But for heads alone, no need
to pull it out.

In fact, I don't believe it is even possible to get a 4.0 liter out
the front. A 3.0 is bad enough to wrangle out. Getting the pulley out
over the front frame without putting the block through the dash/cowl
is more than one trick.

http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/x,carcode,1105175,parttype,5808,d,1996_FORD_AEROSTAR_3.0L_V6_Catalytic_Converter.html
EASTERN CATALYTIC Part # 830856 More Info Direct Fit. Center; Series 830800;
E.O # D-665-16; Legal Note In Compliance with the state of CA & NY (vehicles
with CA Emissions); Engine Family: TFM3.028G1GK; CARB FTB STD: TIER1.
$292.79
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That's new, sorta. When my brother in law had an Aerostar, he could not get
a CAT without going to the dealer.
There are specific engines listed, maybe his engine was not one of these. I
do not know, and he does not have the car anymore.

I believe there was a time early on where the only direct fit
aftermarket cat for the 4.0 Aerostar had a faulty reduction catalyst
(did not process NOx very well) but that was fixed over 10 years ago.
Back then, most cats were still under warranty so there was no great
incentive for the aftermarket to spend a lot of resources on it. I
believe it was only for 1996 and 1997 OBD2 vehicles - the 1989-95 used
a different cat with only 1 O2 sensor, while the 96-97 required 2 O2
sensor bungs.
IIRC, the replacement '96-'97 cat was later supplied for the earlier
models with a plug to fill the after-cat O2 bung.
Don't remember if the problem affected the 3.0 engines as well or not

I am not sure which engine my brother in law had, but it was nowhere near
ten years ago when I spoke to the BAR in Calif., about options for an
Aerostar that did not pass smog. There are many non-approved aftermarket
CATs out there, but the only one I could get that was approved was from the
dealer channel.
The point is, before the OP embarks on an expensive service, he might
consider future costs and availability of parts, such as the CAT. My brother
in law scrapped his Aerostar because it was a pile of crap, and needed a
very expensive part. If somebody has a nice specimen that is worth repairing
today, but has exposure to future costs the might be encurred before the
current repairs ammortize out, then maybe current repairs should be
deferred. I'm just giving a data point to cover. If it covers, then fine. If
it does not cover, then, you're welcome for the information.

4-7-15
Any way to remove enough of the body so that the a head gasket can be
replaced without pulling the engine out thru underneath? Probably not -
just wondering....
8-26-15
Spent 4 months screwing around with checking this and that and going to
the shade tree and chain garage places.... Finally took to a mechanic I
got from a good referral. I asked the cost of head gasket and it was in
the $700-800 range. "But first" he said... we should check compression,
etc., etc... Gave some warnings about replacing it and the possibly of
damaging the rings.
Long story short - head gasket was fine. A couple of bad spark plugs.
Moral of the story -- forget the home-brew stuff unless it's a hobby or
you have experience, and take 3/4 of what you read on line as coming
from people who know less about something than you do......

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